eBay's creation myth: In early 1995, founder Pierre Omidyar's significant other (now fiancée) suggested her life would be complete if only she could pursue her obsession, collecting Pez dispensers, on the Internet. The site went live in September 1995. A serious business ensued: The company went public in September '98, its market capitalization hit $3.3 billion by Halloween – then really took off.
| Initial stock price (9/24/98):| $18
| Seven-week high (11/10/98):| $140
| Shares outstanding:| 39.7 million
| Market cap at IPO:| $714.6 million
| Market cap 11/11/98:| $4.6 billion (Onsale, $443 million; Excite, $2.5 billion; Netscape, $2.8 billion; Amazon.com, $6.3 billion; Yahoo!, $15.5 billion)
| Product categories:| 1,086
| Items currently for sale:| 863,898
| Items for sale since inception (9/95):| 28 million
| Bids since inception (9/95):| 105 million
| Competitors:| Yahoo! Auctions (items currently for sale: 51,135); Onsale (bids since 5/95 launch: 8.4 million); Auction Universe (items: 21,264); First Auction
| Highest sale price:| $17,101 for a Chicago Bulls jersey signed by Michael Jordan
| Lowest opening price:| 1 cent (several listed, including a sad collection of Christmas ornaments)
| Pez dispensers for sale:| 1,011. Highest asking price: $2,100, for an unopened "bride" model
| Celebrity-related items for sale:| Mark McGwire, 2,314; Madonna, 614; Princess Diana, 581; Hitler, 219; Mariah Carey, 89; Bill Gates, 13; Clinton-Lewinsky, 12; Nelson Mandela, 7; Mother Teresa, 7
